Compactor having improved cabinet structure

ABSTRACT

There is disclosed a domestic refuse compactor cabinet which obviates the need for an internal stress-bearing frame. The cabinet is also designed without self-contained, stress-bearing columns. The reaction forces generated during compacting are accommodated by stressing the planar cabinet sides and back.

July 8, 1975 United States Patent [191 Eckerle mAAxA ww m manna nmmflm 0munm Wm Mali H a .mm fl mb m S a mmm momKM 22334 77777 wwwwm MO OMHH55844 57084 3 ,9 40 26 58478 33333 m 0 .w E m m m o m L R m P k C M a cI m." G E N R m W W A E A m m n m .m u R m m m m w G C T A E PN m n M mw my 0A v s C c m A 4 .H M 5 7 U Louisville, Ky.

June 5, 1974 Appl. N0.: 476,529

Primary Examiner-Billy J. Wilhite [22] Filed:

ABSTRACT There is disclosed a domestic refuse Compactor cabinet whichobviates the need for an internal stressbearing frame. The cabinet isalso des self-contained, stressh C r a e igned without 100/214, 229 A,289; 53/124 B; l4l/73, 8O

hearing columns. The reaction forces generated during compacting areaccommo- [56] References cued dated by stressing the planar cabinetsides and back.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,589,277 6/1971 Gray et 100/229 X 8 Claims, 3Drawing Figures PATENTED L 8 SHEET IAIENTEU 3 FIG.2.

3.893.887 SHEET 2 I e H8 6 PMFTFTEDJUL 8 ms 3.893.387

SHEET 3 F'IG.3

1 COMPACTOR HAVING IMPROVED CABINET STRUCTURE BACKGROUND OF THEINVENTION Domestic refuse compactors presently on the market weighapproximately 180 lbs. An investigation made to determine thefeasibility of a low cost, high quality compactor has revealed that asignificant weight reduction can be achieved by redesigning thecompactor cabinet. Since weight is roughly proportional to cost inmass-produced items, it is apparent that significant economies can beachieved by the use of a lighter cabinet.

It was noticed that the internal compactor frame and- /or thestress-bearing columns in a compactor cabinet contribute substantiallyto the weight of the compactor and occupy a significant volume. It wastherefore considered desirable to fabricate a light-weight compactorcabinet which would obviate the need for an internal frame and yet bestrong enough to withstand the compacting forces generated duringoperation of the compactor.

Prior art attempts at providing light-weight compactor cabinets areshown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,589,277, U.S. Pat. No. 3,680,475 and U.S. Pat.No. 3,786,744. However, none of these attempts give the combinedadvantages of weight reduction and increased space within the compactorfrom a single cabinet, as does the cabinet of the present invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention includes a compactor cabinet ofsingle-sheet wraparound design which is free of stressbearing columns.The cabinet affords the maximum of interior compacting space and reducesthe overall compactor weight. At the same time, the cabinet is also ableto repeatedly withstand the stresses generated during the compactingoperation. More specifically, the invention includes a compactor of thetype comprising a cabinet having a top, a bottom, opposed sides, aclosed back, an open front, and a door closing the open front; means formounting an open-topped refuse receiving container to said door formovement through the open front between positions in and out of thecabinet, and means for compressing refuse in the container, including adownwardly movable platen adapted to enter the open top of the containerwhen the container is in the cabinet; a floor inside the cabinet havinga central section for supporting the container during the refusecompression and a downturned edge extending at least along both sidesand the back of the cabinet, a onepiece sheet metal member generallyU--shaped in horizontal cross-section providing opposed side walls, eachlying substantially in a single plane, constituting the cabinet sidesand a planar back wall constituting the closed cabinet back, the upperand lower portions of the side and back walls being reverted to providean upper and lower groove, respectively, extending at least along bothsides and the back of the cabinet and opening respectively downwardlyand upwardly, the downturned floor edge cooperating with the lowergroove; and a top wall having a central section for reacting against thecompressing means during refuse compression and an upturned edgeextending at least along both sides and the back of the cabinet andcooperating with the upper groove thereof; the cabinet being free ofconvolutions forming stress-bearing columns in the side walls and back.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. I is a broken isometric view ofthe cabinet of this invention illustrating the right half thereof;

FIG. 2 is a broken front elevational view of the cabinet of FIG. 1', and

FIG. 3 is a broken side elevational view of a compactor incorporatingthe cabinet of FIGS. 1 and 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawings, thereis illustrated in FIG. 3 a compactor 10 having as major components acabinet 12 providing a door 14 mounted to close the open front thereof,an open-topped container 16 adapted for movement through the opencabinet front, and means 18 for compacting refuse in the container 16.

The cabinet 12 comprises a floor 20 having a central planar section 22and a peripheral downturned edge 24. Secured to the underside of thecentral section 22, as by welding or the like, is a corrugatedstiffening member 26 (FIG. I) which acts to strengthen the sec tion 22and prevent bowing thereof during refuse compaction. A reaction plate 28may be affixed, as by welding or the like, to the underside of thestiffening member 26. The section 22, the downturned edge 24, thestiffening member 26 and the plate 28 accordingly comprise a box-shapedstructure of substantial strength. Optionally, this structure may bemounted on top of a stand 31 if the compactor is to be used as afreestanding unit. As shown best in FIG. 2, the plate 28 provides aplurality of depressions 30 along the sides of the cabinet 12 inside theelevated sections of the corrugated stiffening member 26 for additionalstrength. Weld material 32 may be placed adjacent the depressions 30 tosecure the plate 28 to a flange 34 provided by the cabinet side walls.

The cabinet 12 also comprises a one-piece sheet metal member 36 (FIG. 2)providing planar side walls 38, 40 and a planar back wall 42. The member36 also provides a pair of front vertical flanges 44, a pair of shortupper horizontal channels 46 extending inwardly from the side walls 38,40 and a pair of short lower horizontal channels 48 extending inwardlyfrom the side walls 38, 40. The cabinet 12 accordingly defines anenlarged opening 50 providing access into a compacting chamber 52 (FIG.1). The lower edge of the side and back walls 38, 40, 42 are reverted toprovide the flange 34 to which the reaction plate 28 is secured. Theflange 34 cooperates with the side and back walls 38, 40, 42 to providea lower upwardly facing groove 56. As is suggested in FIG. 1, the lowerhorizontal channels 48 provide a groove 58 adjacent with the groove 56.The side and back portions of the downturned edge 24 are received in thegroove 56 while the lateral front ends of the edge 24 are received inthe groove 58. Preferably, the edge 24 is secured in the grooves 56, 58,as by crimping, welding or the like.

The upper edges of the side and back walls 38, 40, 42 are reverted toprovide a continuous flange 60 and an upper groove 62 facing downwardlyand extending along the sides and back of the cabinet 12. The upperhorizontal members 46 comprising the front of the cabinet provide agroove 64 communicating with the groove 62. The grooves 62, 64 receivean upturned edge 66 of a generally planar section 68 comprising a topwall member 70. The upturned edge 66 is desirably secured in the grooves62, 64, as by crimping, welding or the like. Since the side and backwalls 38, 40, 42 are planar, it will be seen that the grooves 56, 58,62, 64 reside in common planes bounding the compacting chamber 52.

As shown best in FIG. I, the upper flange 60 is not one piece butinstead terminates adjacent the corners of the cabinet I2 forconvenience during manufacture. Similarly, although not shown, the lowerflange 34 terminates short of the corners of the cabinet 12.

As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the sheet metal member36, the floor and the top wall 70 comprise a reaction structure placedin tension when the compacting means I8 is compressing refuse in thereceptacle 16. During compaction, the receptacle 16 is forced downwardlyagainst the floor 20 while the compacting means I8 is forced upwardlyagainst the top wall 70. Since the floor 20 and top wall 70 areconstrained against movement by the member 36, forces which tend toseparate the floor 20 from the top wall 70 are transferred to the member36 which comprises the sides and back of the cabinet 12.

An important feature of the cabinet 12 is a lack of columns orconvolutions in the sides, front and back thereof which normally arewelded to the base and top wall and which contribute substantially tothe reaction structure resisting or accommodating compression forces. Inthe present invention, the cabinet itself resists loads generated duringcompacting. Accordingly, the usable horizontal area in the compactingchamber 52 approaches the horizontal cross-sectional area of the cabinet12.

There is also provided means 72 for substantially preventing bowing ofthe side walls 38, 40 adjacent the open cabinet front when the cabinet12 is unstressed. the bow preventing means 72 comprises a metal strap 74affixed, in any suitable fashion as by welding or the like, to each ofthe side walls 38, 40 adjacent the flanges 44. Since the metal straps 74are not required to withstand compression generated forces, the straps74 are conveniently merely connected to the side walls 38, 40 and notdirectly connected to either the floor 20 or top wall 70 as may be seenbest in FIG. 2.

Referring generally to the other parts of the compactor, it can be seenin FIG. 3 that the container 16 is preferably a one-piece plasticmolding substantially cylindrical in shape although it may be taperedslightly in order to be removed from its mold. A flange 76 extendscircumferentially about the container I6 providing a groove forreceiving a support carried by the door 14. At the upper end of thecontainer 16 there is provided a clamp 78 which likewise may providemeans for attachment to the door 14. The container 16 is preferablycarried by the door 14 during opening and closing movement thereof inorder to move the container 16 into and out of the compacting chamber52. The preferable mounting mechanism for manipulation of thecylindrical container 16 through the access opening 50 is disclosed inU.S. patent application, Ser. No. 464,530, filed Apr. 26, 1974. In analternative, the container 16 may be mounted on the door I4 for simplepivotal movement therewith if the side walls 39, 40 (FIG. 2) are spacedapart sufficiently.

The door 14 is preferably pivotally mounted on the cabinet 12, as byupper and lower pivot pins 80, 82

4 which cooperate with brackets 84, 86 (FIG. 3) rigid with the cabinet12.

The compacting means or press 18 may be of any suitable design and isillustrated as comprising: a pressure plate or platen 88 for contactingrefuse in the container 16; a screw member 90 connected to the plate 88by a suitable bearing 92; a linkage mechanism 94 for maintaining theplate 88 in a substantially horizontal position and a drive mechanism 96for translating the screw 90 up and down. The compacting means I8 isillustrated in substantially greater detail in U.S. patent application,Ser. No. 464,507, filed Apr. 26, I974, to which reference is made for amore complete description thereof.

For present purposes it is sufficient to say that the linkage mechanism94 comprises a generally channelshaped reaction structure 98 affixed tothe plate 88, a similarly configured reaction structure 100 affixed tothe central section 68 of the top wall 70 and a plurality of links 102,104 interconnecting the structures 98, 100. The reaction structure 100preferably spans a substantial part of the top wall 70 and acts todistribute compression generated forces along a substantial portion ofthe width of the top wall 70. Because of the bracing effect provided bythe reaction structure 100, no additional stiffening members arerequired for the top wall 70.

The drive mechanism 96 is illustrated as comprising a gear wheel 106drivably rotating an internally threaded member 108 which receives thescrew 90. The gear wheel 106 is mounted for rotation and is driven by atoothed belt 110 meshing with a gear wheel 1 l2 driven by a suitablemotor 114 suspended from the top wall 70. It will be apparent thatenergization of the motor 114 rotates the gear wheel 112 to drive thebelt 110 thereby rotating the gear wheel 106 to reciprocate the screw 90through the internally threaded member 108. Accordingly, the pressureplate 88 moves downwardly into the container 16 or moves upwardly out ofthe container 16 in response to the direction of rotation of the motorI14.

Referring to FIGS. I and 2, there may be provided a conduit formingsection 116 above the top wall 70 ex tending along one, or preferablyboth, of the sides of the cabinet 12 for receiving electrical wiring(not shown) constituting part of the controls of the compactor 10. Theconduit forming section 116 is conveniently of inverted U-shaped crosssection having a plurality of tabs or flanges I18 thereon which arereleasably attached to the top wall 70 by metal screws 120 or the like.

There is preferably provided a cover plate 122 above the gear wheel 106for enclosing the components of the drive mechanism 96. The cover plate122 includes an elevated section 124 overlying the gear wheel 112, thebelt 0 and the gear wheel 106. The cover plate I22 is desirablyreleasably attached, as by metal screws, clips or the like, to theconduit forming sections 116 in order to provide access to the drivecomponents between the cover plate 122 and the top wall 70. The coverplate I22 provides a front upturned edge 126 and a rear upturned edge128 which afford stiffness or beam rigidity to the cover plate 122.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed I. A compactor ofthe type comprising a cabinet having a top, a bottom, opposed sides, aclosed back, an

open front and a door closing the open front; means for mounting anopen-topped refuse receiving container to said door for movement throughthe open front between positions in and out of the cabinet; and meansfor compressing refuse in the container, including a downwardly movableplaten adapted to enter the open top of the container when the containeris in the cabinet;

at floor, inside the cabinet, having a central section for supportingthe container during refuse compression and a downturned edge extendingat least along both sides and the back of the cabinet;

a one-piece sheet metal member. generally U-shaped in horizontal crosssection, providing opposed side walls each lying substantially in asingle plane constituting the cabinet sides and a planar back wallconstituting the closed cabinet back, the upper and lower portions ofthe side and back walls being reverted to provide an upper and lowergroove respectively extending at least along both sides and the back ofthe cabinet and opening respectively downwardly and upwardly, thedownturned floor edge cooperating with the lower groove; and

a top wall having a central section for reacting against the compressionmeans during refuse compression and an upturned edge extending at leastalong both sides and the back of the cabinet and cooperating with theupper groove thereof;

the cabinet being free of convolutions forming stressbearing columns inthe side walls and back.

2. The compactor of claim 1 wherein the floor comprises a corrugatedstiffening member under the floor central section, and the top wallcentral section is generally planar.

3. The compactor of claim 2 wherein the cabinet floor is generallyplanar.

4. The compactor of claim 3 wherein the cabinet walls are generallyplanar and sections of the upper and lower grooves reside in commonplanes.

5. The compactor of claim 4 wherein the cabinet further comprises meanspreventing bowing of the planar side walls adjacent the open front whenthe platen is out of the container.

6. The compactor of claim 5 wherein the bowing pre venting meanscomprises a metal strap secured to the planar side walls adjacent theopen front.

7. The compactor of claim 6 wherein the one-piece sheet metal membercomprises coplanar vertical flanges, integral with the side walls andperpendicular thereto, on opposite sides of the open cabinet front.

8. The compactor of claim 7 wherein the one-piece sheet metal membercomprises pairs of upper and lower horizontal channels adjacent the opencabinet front extending toward each other from the cabinet sides andproviding an upper and lower groove section respectively communicatingwith the upper and lower grooves of the side walls; the downturned flooredge extending along at least part of the cabinet front into the lowergroove section; and the upturned top wall edge extending along at leastpart of the cabinet front into the upper groove section.

1. A compactor of the type comprising a cabinet having a top, a bottom,opposed sides, a closed back, an open front and a door closing the openfront; means for mounting an open-topped refuse receiving container tosaid door for movement through the open front between positions in andout of the cabinet; and means for compressing refuse in the container,including a downwardly movable platen adapted to enter the open top ofthe container when the container is in the cabinet; a floor, inside thecabinet, having a central section for supporting the container duringrefuse compression and a downturned edge extending at least along bothsides and the back of the cabinet; a one-piece sheet metal member,generally U-shaped in horizontal cross section, providing opposed sidewalls each lying substantially in a single plane constituting thecabinet sides and a planar back wall constituting the closed cabinetback, the upper and lower portions of the side and back walls beingreverted to provide an upper and lower groove respectively extending atleast along both sides and the back of the cabinet and openingrespectively downwardly and upwardly, the downturned floor edgecooperating with the lower groove; and a top wall having a centralsection for reacting against the compression means during refusecompression and an upturned edge extending at least along both sides andthe back of the cabinet and cooperating with the upper groove thereof;the cabinet being free of convolutions forming stress-bearing columns inthe side walls and back.
 2. The compactor of claim 1 wherein the floorcomprises a corrugated stiffening member under the floor centralsection, and the top wall central section is generally planar.
 3. Thecompactor of claim 2 wherein the cabinet floor is generally planar. 4.The compactor of claim 3 wherein the Cabinet walls are generally planarand sections of the upper and lower grooves reside in common planes. 5.The compactor of claim 4 wherein the cabinet further comprises meanspreventing bowing of the planar side walls adjacent the open front whenthe platen is out of the container.
 6. The compactor of claim 5 whereinthe bowing preventing means comprises a metal strap secured to theplanar side walls adjacent the open front.
 7. The compactor of claim 6wherein the one-piece sheet metal member comprises coplanar verticalflanges, integral with the side walls and perpendicular thereto, onopposite sides of the open cabinet front.
 8. The compactor of claim 7wherein the one-piece sheet metal member comprises pairs of upper andlower horizontal channels adjacent the open cabinet front extendingtoward each other from the cabinet sides and providing an upper andlower groove section respectively communicating with the upper and lowergrooves of the side walls; the downturned floor edge extending along atleast part of the cabinet front into the lower groove section; and theupturned top wall edge extending along at least part of the cabinetfront into the upper groove section.